Manafort sentencing memo: Mueller alleges 5 ways Manafort lied about contacts with Trump administration and suspected Russian spy

Special counsel Robert Mueller has filed a court document on alleged lies told by Paul Manafort to Mueller's team in violation of the plea deal signed by the ex-Trump campaign chairman.

Here are the key takeaways:


- The document laid out five key lies Manafort allegedly told the special counsel and the FBI. Those alleged lies related to suspected Russian spy Konstantin Kilimnik and a wire transfer to a firm working for Manafort, as well as "information pertinent to another Department of Justice investigation" and "Manafort's contact with Administration officials."

- Large sections of the document detailing the alleged falsehoods are blacked out. The most heavily redacted portions related to Manafort's interactions with Kilimnik.

- The special counsel said evidence "demonstrates that Manafort lied about his contacts" when he said after signing his plea deal that he had "no direct or indirect communications with anyone" in the Trump administration.

- Manafort was talking to people in the Trump administration as late as 2018, the document alleges: "In a text message from May 26, 2018, Manafort authorized a person to speak with an Administration official on Manafort's behalf. Separately, according to another Manafort colleague, Manafort said in February 2018 that Manafort had been in communication with a senior Administration official up through February 2018."

- Mueller said Manafort's lies "were not instances of mere memory lapses," and that the special counsel "is available to prove the false statements at a hearing" if Manafort challenges the most recent allegations against him.

Mueller's team also hinted during a court hearing last week that the ex-Trump campaign chairman could be slapped with new charges.

Manafort's sentencing date in that case has been tentatively set for March 5.

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